Trump nominates Jay Clayton as next Director of National Intelligence

US President Donald Trump announced Thursday the nomination of Jay Clayton as the next director of national intelligence (DNI).

"I am pleased to announce the Nomination of very Highly Respected Jay Clayton, former Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the former Head of Sullivan & Cromwell, one of the most prominent and successful Law Firms anywhere in the World, and the current United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, to be the next Director of National Intelligence and, importantly, to serve in my Cabinet," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

He urged the US Senate to confirm Clayton “as soon as possible.”

Trump said Federal Housing Finance Agency head Bill Pulte would assume the role of acting director June 19, succeeding Tulsi Gabbard, who is set to step down effective June 30.

His announcement follows a vote in the House of Representatives, where Republicans were unable to secure Democratic support for a short-term renewal of the government’s warrantless surveillance authorities, leaving the measure to fail in the lower chamber ahead of a scheduled recess until June 23.

The proposal would have extended Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) until July 2, but Democrats declined to back reauthorization, citing opposition to Trump’s appointment of Pulte as acting director of national intelligence.

The measure was defeated in a 198 - 218 vote, with 199 Democrats and 19 Republicans voting no.

Lawmakers have been refusing to support FISA reauthorization as long as Pulte is in the nation's top intelligence position, citing his close ties to the president and limited national security experience.

Speaker Mike Johnson said Thursday that Republicans had done “everything within our power” to prevent the expiration of Section 702, accusing Democrats of “using it as a political hostage."

Asked after the vote whether he would reconvene the House from recess for another vote on FISA, Johnson responded, “What would be the point?”

He said blocking the bill would "jeopardize" the safety and security of the American people, as the US is hosting the FIFA World Cup.

Trump said Pulte will run the post "for a little while" when asked by reporters if he intends to have Pulte continue to serve as the acting DNI.

When asked about some Republicans' concerns that Pulte has no intelligence experience, Trump said Pulte is “intelligent, unlike a lot of other people.”

"He's only there for a little while; he's running it for a short while. We'll get a very talented person, Jay Clayton, and Jay Clayton is an incredible talent," Trump said at the White House.

US Senate Democrats on Thursday also blocked a Republican effort to approve a short-term extension of the act through unanimous consent, marking the second time in a single day that Congress failed to advance the renewal of Section 702 of FISA, heightening the possibility that the surveillance authorities could lapse when they expire on Friday.